Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico, Councilman Neil Manzella, and Councilman Neil Foley joined hundreds of Sachem North High School students and faculty, family, and friends to honor Matthew “Dezy” DiStefano, who died due to Stage 4 Kidney Cancer in 2020 at the age of 42.
Local leaders and students gathered to rename the intersection at Smith Road and Manor Road as Matthew “Dezy” DiStefano Way.
The street corner is across from Sachem North High School where “Dezy” was an admired teacher and coach for 19 years.
He was inducted into the Sachem High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017, the College of Mount Saint Vincent Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018, and the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.
Diagnosed in early 2019, he organized the “Dezy Strong Foundation” to help other cancer patients live a fuller life.
The renaming ceremony included heartfelt words from “Dezy’s” family, Supervisor Panico, Councilman Manzella, and Councilman Foley, and a vocal performance of the Maroon 5 song, “Memories,” sung by Sachem North High School students.